Natural gas is the most common type of hydrocarbon that is in a gaseous state at common environmental temperatures (e.g. 8° C.). Natural gas is well recognized as a low cost, easily-handled and clean burning fuel, as it is often priced below liquid oil, it can be distributed to households and businesses by pipeline, and it creates little emissions other than carbon dioxide. Natural gas is produced at many locations in much larger quantities than can be used locally, and it is transported to faraway customers by cooling it as to −160° C. to produce LNG (liquefied natural gas). The LNG is transported in tankers that each has a capacity of more than 50 million standard (atmospheric pressure and environmental temperature) cubic feet of natural gas, to far away receiving locations. The receiving locations are usually large facilities in developed countries where the large amounts of natural gas can be sold at market prices. The owners of the large LNG receiving facilities spend large amounts to provide extensive distribution pipelines for the gas, and the owners enter into long term (20 plus years) contracts with the suppliers of LNG.
There is a demand for natural gas in isolated communities of developing countries, with many of such communities being located near ocean coasts. Some examples are the islands of Indonesia and the Philippines. Although gas could be supplied by LNG tankers to such isolated communities, the demand at each community is too small to justify the cost of a facility that can offload and regas (heat) the large amount of LNG carried by each tanker, and LNG suppliers generally are not interested in providing additional small tankers. A system that enabled natural gas to be provided to isolated coastal communities, would be of value.